Trick Pony
was a Grammy Award-nominated American country music group formed in 1996 by Keith Burns (lead guitar, vocals), Ira Dean (bass guitar, upright bass, vocals), and Heidi Newfield (lead vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar). Under this original lineup, the group recorded three major-label studio albums: the gold-certified Trick Pony
in 2001, followed by On a Mission
and R.I.D.E.
in 2002 and 2005, respectively. These albums produced eight singles on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs charts, of which the highest peaking was 2002's "On a Night Like This" at #4.
In 2006, Newfield departed for a solo career, and Aubrey Collins was selected as the group's new lead singer. Following her departure in 2007 and Dean's in 2008, Trick Pony disbanded. Newfield released her solo debut album, What Am I Waiting For
, in 2008 on Curb Records, while Burns founded a new group called Burns & Poe.
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TRICK PONY TICKETS
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History
Trick Pony was formed in 1996 by guitarist Keith Burns and bass guitarist Ira Dean. Both musicians had experience as backing musicians for other country music acts; Burns had previously worked with
Joe Diffie, and Dean with
Tanya Tucker.
[1] Keith and Ira decided to form a group composed of two men and a woman. Completing the lineup was lead singer
Heidi Newfield, a friend of Burns' then-wife.
The trio began touring throughout the
Southern United States, developing a sound that was influenced by
Southern rock and
outlaw country.
Musical career
By 2000, Trick Pony was signed to a record deal with
Warner Bros. Records; their debut album, also titled
Trick Pony
, was issued that year. Serving as its lead-off single was "Pour Me", which reached a peak of #12 on the
Billboard
country music charts. Two additional singles ("On a Night Like This" and the
Grammy Award-nominated "Just What I Do") were issued from the album, which earned
RIAA gold certification in the United States.
Of these, "Just What I Do" was the only single to feature Keith Burns on lead vocals, although all three members alternated as lead vocalists on the album cuts.
[2] In 2001, the trio also received the Artist of the Year award from the
Country Music Association, as well as the American Music Association's Top New Arist award.
[3]
On a Mission
was the title of Trick Pony's second album. Although its
David Lee Murphy-penned title track reached Top 20 on the country charts, the second single (2003's "A Boy Like You") failed to enter Top 40, and the group was dropped from Warner Bros.' roster shortly afterward.
In 2004, Trick Pony was signed to its second record deal, this time with
Asylum-Curb Records.
Their sixth single overall, entitled "The Bride", was issued that year, serving as the lead-off to their third studio album,
R.I.D.E.
(an abbreviation for "Rebellious Individuals Delivering Entertainment
[4]). The second single from
R.I.D.E.
was a
cover of "
It's a Heartache", a country pop standard made famous by
Bonnie Tyler. Trick Pony's version of the song peaked at #22 on the country music charts. The third single from
R.I.D.E.
, "Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You", featured guest vocals from
Tracy Byrd,
Joe Diffie,
Mel Tillis,
Tanya Tucker and
Darryl Worley.
Departure of Heidi Newfield and subsequent disbanding
In October 2006, lead singer Heidi Newfield announced that she would be leaving Trick Pony in pursuit of a solo career. She made her official departure at the end of the group's December 2006 tour.
[5] Newfield began recording her first solo album for Asylum-Curb in June 2007.
[6] She made her solo debut on
Cledus T. Judd's 2007 album
Boogity, Boogity - A Tribute to the Comedic Genius of Ray Stevens
, on which she, Judd, and
Keith Urban performed a cover of
Ray Stevens' 1969 single "
Gitarzan".
Aubrey Collins, a singer-songwriter from
Littleton, Colorado who had previously been eliminated from
ABC's television program
The One: Making a Music Star
, was chosen as Newfield's replacement in 2007.
[7] Collins made her official debut as lead singer in April 2007 at the Country Thunder festival in
Arizona.
[8] Collins left the group in October, saying that although she enjoyed working with the group's other two members, she and they "had different creative and musical visions".
[9] Ira Dean announced his departure in February 2008, and Trick Pony was disbanded.
[10] In April 2009, Warner Bros. released
The Best of Trick Pony
, a compilation composed of songs from the trio's first two albums.
Status of former members
Newfield released her solo debut album,
What Am I Waiting For
, via Curb Records in 2008. Burns, meanwhile, founded the duo Burns and Poe with Michelle Poe.
[11] Dean has begun writing songs for other artists, including
Montgomery Gentry's 2009 single "
One in Every Crowd".
Discography
Albums
Year
| Album
| Chart Positions
| RIAA
| Label
|
US Country
| US
| US Internet
|
2001
| Trick Pony
| 12
| 91
| —
| Gold
| Warner Bros. Nashville
|
2003
| On a Mission
| 13
| 61
| —
| —
|
2005
| R.I.D.E.
| 4
| 20
| 20
| —
| Asylum-Curb
|
2009
| The Best of Trick Pony
| 58
| —
| —
| —
| Warner Bros. Nashville
|
Singles
Year
| Single
| Chart Positions
| Album
|
US Country
| US
|
2000
| "Pour Me"
| 12
| 71
| Trick Pony
|
2001
| "On a Night Like This"
| 4
| 47
|
2002
| "Just What I Do"
| 13
| 103
|
"On a Mission"
| 19
| 110
| On a Mission
|
2003
| "A Boy Like You"
| 47
| —
|
2004
| "The Bride"
| 27
| —
| R.I.D.E.
|
2005
| "It's a Heartache"
| 22
| —
|
"Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You"
| 42
| —
|
References
- Trick Pony biography
- CD review: ''Trick Pony'' - Trick Pony
- Trick Pony biography
- Trick Pony Rides A Bumpy Road To Maturity
- Heidi Newfield leaves Trick Pony
- Heidi Newfield Hits the Studio
- Trick Pony Shows Off New Lineup
- Trick Pony debuts new line-up
- Trick Pony Looks for a New Lead Singer
- Ira Dean Ends Ride With Trick Pony
- Keith Burns and Michelle Poe Form New Duo